"Lagniappe"
is an expression used in South Louisiana that
means "something extra". Each
year the local schools get a day off from
school. It's called Lagniappe Day.
It is so peaceful this morning, my first Christmas with my husband, Mark. All we hear are raindrops, feline purrs and the light tapping of Nicholas’ feet on the wood floors. Ahhh. What more can you ask for? I could relish this forever …
As we were taught in elementary school in south Louisiana, JOYEUX NOEL!
WE WON! My husband and I recently entered a photo from our wedding we call “Our Special Wedding Guest” in a photoshop contest on Comedy Central’s InDecision2008 website and … it won. HA! Here’s the link to the announcement of our award winning pic: InDecision2008 Go to see who our special guest was!
There was no money involved, so in sharing this achievement with everyone, we all get ZIPPO! But, have a little laugh.
OK – I’ve decided to go rogue and use the new headshot in the previous blogpost in spite of my agent’s opinion. She’s cool on it, but others like it. And, most important, I like it. The Maverick that I am will use it! Done.
In an economy that asks that we tighten our belts to protect our own financial house, I took steps to protect my little piece of the pie. One day, I made several sweeping strokes to reduce spending. Of those sacrifices, perhaps the greatest was to discontinue my gym membership. It was particularly painful not only because my career depends on good fitness, but also because I was soon to be a bride whose gown was a pricey and sexy little number by designer extraordinaire, Claire Pettibone. I wanted to rock it, of course, which would require discliplined exercise and nutrition.
There were additional challenges plaguing my goal. For one, we had a month-long trip coming up to the UK to visit family just weeks before the wedding, meaning not just a lack of work-out facilities but the temptation to celebrate would be insurmountable. In addition, even with an hour of cardio daily, I had reached a weight plateau unable to shed a single pound in prior months. Success seemed like a hopeless pie in the sky.
However, I couldn’t stop thinking about my amazing Claire Pettibone dress. Nor could I stop thinking about the fairy tale wedding we had planned. I may have been a mature bride, but the image in my head was that of a blushing princess. I intended to live up to that fantasy.
OK – Now, I can post ads again. No more campaign ads, no more smears, no more lack of control over the message of my website and blog.
That said, it’s time to move forward. For weeks/months, I’ve been focused on my wedding on October 4th. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the election. That’s done and it’s time to focus on the smaller world: mine. Back to work. Back to dreaming.
To get “forward” started, I’m posting Imagine, by John Lennon. My brother, Jeff, read it at my wedding. The hopeful, peaceful lyrics mean a lot to family members and resonate today, which I think was made clear on Tuesday. So, here it are the lyrics:
Since I bought my trampoline, I am forced to exercise in my backyard. But, whether I’m inside or out for the stretching phase of my work-outs, I have a constant companion who just can’t leave me alone.
The biggest day of my life turned out to be a magical fairy-tale, as enchanting as our engagement photo above, which we call “Flying Kiss.”
Saturday, I got married in the Scottish Highlands to my long-time Scottish boyfriend. We were married in a historic community church built of granite walls and slate roof in the idyllic countryside of Birse. The church, the Birse Kirk, was originally built a few hundred years ago, but the date is not exactly known.
